Whole-Grain Spelt Breadsticks - Recipe (2024)

September 7, 2023/No Comments

As the season of soul-healing soups approaches, the question we need to ask ourselves is “What delicious bread will I serve as a side for this amazing soup?” And if you couldn’t guess, these Spelt breadsticks are the answer. They’re super light and fluffy, with just enough bite. You can play around with the seasonings to complement so many different dishes from hearty soups to pastas.

Why make breadsticks with Spelt?

There are lots of advantages to using spelt in place of modern wheat. First and foremost, its nutritional value is significantly greater than that of traditional wheat. Spelt is a great source of fiber, magnesium, niacin and phosphorus each of these nutrients plays an important role in the body and brings a variety of health benefits including improved heart health, teeth and bone health, and reduced risk of diseases like diabetes, breast cancer, gallstones and even strokes.

Spelt is also easier for our bodies to digest. Although Spelt does contain gluten, the difference in gluten structure from traditional wheat allows for some people with mild gluten sensitivities to eat it without negative effects. However, people with severe gluten intolerance or Celiac disease should not eat Spelt. See our blog post about Spelt Nutritional Benefits to learn more!

Like all ancient grains, spelt also has a unique flavor. It’s nuttier and slightly sweeter. This makes it an excellent choice for breads and brings a little extra depth to the flavor of baked goods. Even though the gluten structure is different, with some slight modifications in the moisture ratio, Spelt breadsticks turn out just as fluffy as breadsticks made from any other grain. See our article on Baking with Spelt to get learn more.

How to Make Spelt Breadsticks

First off, we’ve got to get our yeast proofed. To do this, combine the water, honey and yeast. If you’re going be making your breadstick dough in an electric mixer such as a Bosch or a Kitchen Aid, you can proof your yeast in the main mixing bowl of your appliance. If you’re making the dough by hand, you can proof the yeast in whatever bowl you will use to start kneading the dough until it becomes stiff enough to knead on the counter. Stir the first three ingredients together until both the honey and the yeast have dissolved into the water. Now let it sit for about 5 minutes while it gets frothy.

While the yeast is proofing, preheat your oven and then measure out your organic Spelt berries. We measure the berries rather than the flour because it is more accurate, but if you want to use flour that’s already milled, you will just measure twice as much flour as you would berries and it will be about right. We like to use our Mockmill 200 to mill our flour. It’s super quick and mess-free!

Now it’s time to get the dough going. We are going to start by adding the salt, avocado oil, and one ½ of the flour to our proofed yeast mixture. Kned that until it is thoroughly combined. Then gradually add the second half of the flour. This is especially important if you’re hand kneading. Adding all the flour at once will make it almost unmanageably messy. Knead the dough for 10 minutes if you’re doing it by hand and 5 if you’re using an appliance. If you’re doing it by hand, you’ll probably want to move to kneading on the counter after you’ve got the flour mixed in. Kneading in a bowl can be tricky. After you’re done kneading, let the breadstick dough sit for 10 minutes. This will allow it to rise a little before rolling it out.

Now it is time to shape our Spelt breadsticks. If your dough was kneaded in a bowl, dust the counter with flour and then put your breadstick dough on the counter. Separate the dough into two separate dough balls and place each of them on a piece of parchment paper. Dust the dough balls with flour and then begin rolling them out. You’ll want to rotate the parchment paper as you roll them out to avoid creating uneven thickness or a crazy shape (unless you like it that way:)

To make the Spelt breadsticks as pretty as possible, we like to cut them before we put them in the oven. To start, cut the dough into strips going vertically. We usually like them to be about 1 ½ – 2 inches wide. Then make one cut going through the middle of the dough horizontally. That way you don’t have foot-long breadsticks. After your breadsticks are cut to the width and length that you want, add any seasonings or toppings. See the next paragraph for some of our favorite topping ideas.

And you’re ready to bake! We have found that 9-10 minutes is usually a good bake time. Give or take a minute, depending on how crispy or soft you like your breadsticks.

How should I season Spelt breadsticks?

How you flavor your breadsticks entirely depends on what you’re serving them with. Garlic powder with a light coat of butter right out of the oven is a great combo that will be pretty complimentary for any main dish. If we are serving an Italian-inspired soup, we like to through some dried basil, oregano, and thyme on our breadsticks. You could also use an Italian spice blend or pizza blend. For some American dishes, it’s fun to throw cheddar or mozzarella cheese on top. You could even get a little crazy and put some sun-dried tomatoes and parmesan cheese on your breadsticks. Try one of these or create something new! The possibilities are endless.

Now onto the recipe!